The bulk of the documents were produced by the V Marine Amphibious Corps (V MAC), as well as action reports from multiple US Navy vessels (including the USS Heywood, the USS Sheridan, and the USS Harry Lee, among others) during Operation Galvanic.

This box list for the Gilbert Islands Collection (COLL/3653) comprises official record copies of operation plans, after action reports, and other documents concerning the Tarawa campaign.

Index to Tarawa Personal Papers Collections

This index highlights collections found in the Archives Branch concerning Marine Corps involvement the attack on the Tarawa Atoll (20 - 23 November 1943) during Operation Galvanic, the US invasion of the Gilbert Islands. The criteria for selecting collections for inclusion in this index is limited to those personal papers that contain pertinent materials.

Collections in this index are comprised of official Marine Corps records, documents, and publications; letters and correspondence; manuscripts; photographs; maps; memoirs and reminiscences; clippings and articles; oral histories and interviews; and realia and ephemera.

Please note that some of the photographs found on our Flickr pages are considered public domain and have been cleared for release. While some imagery is public domain, any use of such imagery from this site must be attributed to the U.S. Marine Corps, or the individual photographer. Photographs may not be used to deface the reputation of the Marine Corps, its personnel, or policies. Additionally, some imagery on this site may fall under copyright protection, such as imagery from personal photo collections donated to the Archives. Please contact us for more information regarding proper use of and/or copyright restrictions for these images.

Monographs and publications from the Marine Corps History Division

The cost of the capture of Tarawa was two-fold: the loss of Marines in the assault itself, followed by the shock and despair of the nation upon hearing the reports of the grisly battle. In time, the practical lessons learned in the complex art of amphibious assault on Tarawa became apparent.

by Captain James R. Stockman, USMC
When the 2d Marine Division landed on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll on 20 November 1943, twenty years of Marine Corps study and work, already tested at Guadalcanal and at Bougainville, was put to the test. In capturing Tarawa, the 2d Marine Division accomplished a difficult mission in an expeditious manner. Seventy-six hours after the assault troops landed in the face of heavy resistance, the battle was over and an important base secured with the annihilation of its defending garrison. Of even greater importance, however, was the fact that this successful operation underlined the soundness of our doctrines of amphibious assault. The lessons learned and confirmed at Tarawa paid great dividends in every subsequent operations from the Marshalls to the shores of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.